News and images from the Welsh Kite Trust about the magnificent Red Kite and other Birds of Prey in and around Wales

Tuesday, 23 March 2010

A close run thing!

Today I investigated a report of a new kite nest on my patch in a wooded valley north of Machynlleth. I saw a kite gliding across the valley from the reported nest site. I became aware of a 'droning' noise which was familiar to me and it seemed to be getting louder it was that characteristic sound made by the engines of an army 'Chinook' helicopter. It seemed to be getting closer and suddenly there it was it appeared around the corner so to speak just a couple of hundred feet above me and I could clearly see the aircraft crew within. The kite had been crossing its flightpath only seconds earlier and it could well have fallen victim to the aircraft's rotor blades! As Wellington declared at Waterloo that sure was 'a close-run thing'!Kite monitoring is never boring!

1 comment:

Your Chinook incident reminds me of the day I found the nest in Herefordshire, 2004. I was searching through the wood when I heard that characteristic sound made by an army'Chinook' helicopter. The big bird disturbed the Red Kite enabling me to find the nest sooner than anticipated. My heart was in my mouth for several minutes until the bird returned to the nest.